Military Officers Association of America SENCLAND Chapter P.O. Box 15207 Wilmington, NC 28408 www.sencland.org September 2014 Editor: Steve Mannell, steve.mannell@gmail.com, (910) 723-6168 September Meeting: Tuesday, September 2 nd at 1130 hours at Bluewater Grill, Wrightsville Beach. Menu: Barbeque with soft beverages, coffee, tea, and alcohol. Price: $15 per person payable at the door. Program: Chapter member LtCol. Les Petty, USMC (Ret) was the commander of one of the aircraft sent in 1980 to rescue 53 American hostages held by Iran for 444 days. His talk will include details of the rescue mission, the difficulties of the attempt and the sacrifices made by all who attempted to bring our hostages home. It is important history with a story you will not want to miss. RSVP: Please RSVP by August 29th to JoAnn Doleman at jdoleman522@gmail.com or 910-540-8459. Next Meeting: Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives will be invited (Barfield and Rouzer). Save the date October 7th at Bluewater on your calendars! Message from the President We had a very successful Pig Picking at Hugh McRae park on the 6th of June. There were around 104 of our members at the shelter for a great day of socializing and enjoying various beverages and the usual delicious BBQ from Parchies. Thanks to all who made this possible with special thanks to Al Schroetel, John Melia, Sally Semmler, Jim Jackson, Melinda Stewart, and Ron Lafond. One of the high points of the pig picking is to introduce the scholarship winners and their families. Both of this year s winners are from North Brunswick High School and were introduced to the chapter by LTC Lee Hanna, the senior military instructor at the school. The first prize winner was Ahjalah Sutton who carried away the $3000 award and will attend NC A&T this fall. She will major in biology with the plan of continuing into medical school. The runner up with the $2000 prize is Danisha Melvin-Beatty who will attend UNC Greensboro in the fall to major in
biology and continue into medical school. We wish them success in the future and congratulate LTC Hanna for being the only school thus far with all winners. Our 50/50 raffle enabled us to add another $140 into the scholarship fund with Bob Shepard reinvesting his winnings back into the fund. The SENCLAND chapter Board of Directors has thru the years been able to do a couple of divergent things. First, we have been able to keep our annual dues the lowest in the council and at the same time have been able to have a generous scholarship program for JROTC students who were planning to attend a four year college. This was possible only thru the donations of the membership over and above the local dues. As time passes, we see that there are many other areas of need for the retired and active military community in which we can assist. For example, we have supported the Honor flights for WWII veterans to visit the WWII memorial, we have supported the Purple Heart Dinner and Memorial, and other causes as they arise. We see the need to expand our outreach beyond the JROTC scholarships to meet these needs. We will expand the program to include veteran students at the various Community Colleges in our area as well as veterans attending UNCW. The format to handle and define the recipients of these new grants is being developed currently. In addition to the scholarship efforts, we will support other veteran and military causes as they arise and we can see the need and have the ability to assist. You will notice in the future that we will ask for donations and contributions to the Outreach Program, which will include all of our givings as well as the ROTC scholarships. The 50/50 raffle will now be devoted to all of our outreach programs. We ask you to continue your donations into our programs as before. The needs are there and greater than ever. Remember, our next meeting will be on Tuesday 2 September at the Bluewater starting at 1130. Member Updates Our deepest condolences are offered to the families of SENCLAND Chapter members who have died. May they rest in peace: To the family of Dr. James Robert Dineen, Captain, USN Retired, who died July 17, 2014 at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife, Emma Maxwell Dineen, a teacher and principal for 39 years. Jim and Emma were both active SENCLAND Chapter members for many years. To the family of Colonel Robert E. Furr, USAF Retired, who died in February, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Dani Furr, who hopes to start coming to meetings again soon. To the family of Glenn Peterson, wife of Colonel Don Petersen, USA Retired. Glenn died a few months ago and Don has moved to Hampton, VA to be near his son. To the family of Dr. John Seymour, Captain, former USA, who died June 2, 2014. John was a Vietnam era Army doctor and went on have a very successful practice in Maryland. He and his wife Lundy attended many of our luncheons. Page 2 of 10
We have no new members to announce; however, as of June, our chapter has gained 18 new members this year. There is still plenty of time to recruit more in 2014, so whenever you meet a currently serving, former or retired officer, encourage them to come to a meeting. If you get their e-mail, Al Schroetel will send them more information. Ron Lafond has done a great job of recruiting. We all need to follow his lead. Last year, between the recruiting program and retention program our Chapter received over $800! Let's continue this track record. Invite an eligible friend to join us at Bluewater on September 2nd! A membership application form is included on page 8, the address page. Members in the News Battleship Receives Donation from Bakery Over the Fourth of July weekend, Apple Annie's Bake Shop sold red, white and blue cupcakes to raise funds for the battleship restoration efforts. In total, 212 cupcakes were sold, and with private donations and a matching gift from the shop, a check in the amount of $515 was presented to the battleship. An article and picture appeared in the 7 August 2014 StarNews with a picture that showed SENCLAND Chapter member, COL Rob Cooley presenting the check to the Battleship director. Rob Cooley is the owner of Apple Annie's Bake Shop and a USS North Carolina (BB55) Commissioner who serves as the Chairman of their Development Committee. Museum of the Marine The Museum of the Marine (MotM) will be a "world class" museum built in Jacksonville, NC aboard Camp Lejeune in the Lejeune Memorial Gardens. It will be dedicated to memorializing the many contributions to the Nation and the Marine Corps that emanated from the Carolinas. MotM is a private 501(C)(3) organization that does not receive any funding from the Marine Corps or Congress. The MotM will commemorate the Marines and Sailors of the Carolinas (both North and South Carolina including Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and Marine Corps Air Stations Cherry Point, New River and Beaufort among others), the units in which they served, and the civilian communities that have hosted the Marines of the Carolinas since the beginning of WW II. When completed, the Museum will be a 40,000 square foot building consisting of 3 main exhibit galleries, a changing gallery, an orientation theater and a great hall that will be able to seat some 300 people for unit reunions, promotions and retirements, birthday balls, and other functions. The Museum will focus on the unique contributions and the many "firsts" that have come out of the Carolinas. Some of these firsts include: the first women Marines were trained here; the development and refinement of amphibious doctrine; the first African-American Marines were trained here; the first use of war dogs; the development of amphibious assault doctrine; the development of body armor; as well as many aviation firsts, such as the development and refinement of vertical assault and, most recently, the pilot training and tactical development associated with the MV-22 Osprey at MCAS, New River. The Museum will have a natural tie with the Battleship USS North Carolina and Fort Fisher as it is along US Route 17 s military heritage trail; it will enhance the New Hanover County s status as an ideal tourist Page 3 of 10
destination and finally will provide a destination for Wilmington residents to take a day trip with their family and their guests. Thanks to Lt. Col. Paul Power, USMC, for this project update. For more information, please visit: http://www.museumofthemarine.org/ Program Updates Jim Jackson, our Program Chair, reports Our annual Pig Pickin on 06 June at Hugh McRae Park in Wilmington was well attended by 97 members and guests, a record turnout! The traditional Pig was served by Parchie s and included Pulled Pork Bar-B-Q, Fried Chicken, and all the trimmings. In addition to this special picnic, we honored the two winners of our 2014 JROTC Scholarship Program. After our traditional summer break in July and August, it s time to get serious again and prepare for some exciting programs for the remainder of 2014. For our 02 September meeting, we are especially pleased to have one of own chapter members, Lt. Col. Les Petty. You will recall that in April of this year, we were honored to have Mr. Cort Barnes, one of the hostages during the 444 day Iranian siege of the American Embassy in Tehran. Mr. Barnes recounted the conditions and his treatment during the siege. Talk about coincidences, Lt. Col. Petty was the aircraft commander of one of the aircraft sent to rescue Mr. Barnes and the other hostages. If that weren t coincidence enough, also a member our local chapter is MAJ Catherine Piacente, USA the nurse in the burn center at Ft. Sam Houston where Lt. Col. Petty was sent for treatment. Lt. Col. Petty will be detailing the very harrowing encounters he experienced during the rescue attempt as an aircraft commander. WOW! As usual our 02 September meeting will be at the beautiful Bluewater Grill on Wrightsville Beach beginning at 1130 hours. Our luncheon continues to be priced at $15 including the entrée of your choice, soft beverages, coffee, tea and cookies from Apple Annie s. Cocktails will be available for purchase. Luncheon selections will be made at the door and include: BlueWater Cheeseburger with French Fries Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken Fish and Chips with French Fries Turkey Cranberry Sandwich with Pasta Upcoming Programs 07 October Bluewater Candidate(s) for upcoming U.S. House of Representatives will be invited (Barfield and Rouzer). 04 November Northern meeting at Englese s in Surf City. 02 December Bluewater Holiday luncheon performance by Coastal Christian High School choir. Page 4 of 10
67 th Air Force Ball The 440 th Airlift Wing invites you to attend the 67 th Air Force Ball on Saturday, 20 September at Hangar Six, 257 Fortress Street, Building 712, Pope AAF, NC. Cocktail hour begins at 6:00pm, the official program at 7:00pm, and dinner at 7:45pm. Celebrating the "Blue Diamond Moments" of our Airmen is the theme of this year's Ball. So what is a "Blue Diamond Moment?" Simply put, it is that singular memory, event, or highlight that stands out the most during the Airman's service. Airmen will share their Air Force career "Blue Diamond Moment" via pictures and video. To learn more or buy tickets, please visit https://sites.google.com/site/paafafball/. North Carolina Council of Chapters State Convention, June 11-14, 2015 The location for the NC Council of Chapters state convention in 2015 is the High Hampton Inn located in Cashiers, NC in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To register for the June 2015 State Convention, fill in the form page 6 and send it in with your deposit. This event is for ALL North Carolina Council and Chapter members and their families. While there may be a few times when Council and Chapter officers and presidents will meet for business, the main theme of the convention will be to share in the FUN and the camaraderie of our like-minded members and their families. About the Inn: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, High Hampton Inn has welcomed guests to this North Carolina mountain town since 1922. Originally developed as a summer retreat to escape the heat of the low country, wealthy families traveled by train and then horse and buggy to reach the retreat. Today the Inn welcomes guests to its 1400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Inn offers rooms in the main house as well as a collection of cottages. The exterior of the Inn is made from chestnut and poplar shingles while the interior contains natural woods from the original estate in a board and batten pattern. The rustic rooms are woodsy, yet elegant and feature hand-hewn twig and mountain crafted furnishings with private baths. In the tradition of mountain living, there are no televisions or telephones in the rooms. However, as a nod to the 21st century, wireless internet and televisions are available in the lobby and common areas of the rustic lodge. Dining: Meals are bountiful Southern culinary affairs using fresh seasonal ingredients and traditional recipes that have been handed down over the generations. Favorites such as High Hampton fried chicken, local rainbow trout and herb crusted prime rib are all served in an elegant buffet style. Three complete meals per days are included. Activities: The mountain air and atmosphere encourage outdoor activities including swimming in the Inn s crystal clear lake or hiking on the many trails. A spa, fly fishing, shuffleboard croquet, corn toss, paddle boats as well as golf are also available. A special discounted group golf rate of $60 per person including green fees and carts is being offered. Offsite, a visit to the quaint towns of Cashiers and Highlands is planned. Price: $979 per couple; $849 single. Includes 3 nights lodging, all meals, taxes, and gratuities. Also, includes group meetings private cocktail party and a special group banquet with surprise speaker. Page 5 of 10
Please join us at the Biennial Statewide Convention 11-14 June 2015 at the High Hampton Inn and Country Club Cashiers, NC REGISTRATION FORM Every two years, we gather together and do something very special in a particularly welcoming venue. The past two NCCOC State Conventions have been held on cruise ships. This time, we wanted to stay home and thus we looked at a variety of great places from mountains to the coast. We selected the High Hampton Inn and Country Club which has a fantastic reputation for being a most welcoming and luxurious mountain locale, with great dining, amenities and many opportunities for great exploring (www.highhamptoninn.com) We re planning on lots of camaraderie and just a small amount of quarterly business time. This event is for ALL MOAA members and their families and friends with a goal of Connecting, Learning and Building our organization and certainly making wonderful memories. We re on the National MOAA calendar and have invited a great group of Very Special People to join us from MOAA and the Great State of North Carolina. Member Name Name on Badge Spouse/Guest Name Name on Badge Address City, State, Zip Telephone: Home Cell Email Dietary Restrictions Accessibility Requirements If single, do you want a roommate? Do you want help finding a roommate? Prices: Couple or 2 sharing room $979/Single $849. Price includes room, all meals, taxes, fees and gratuities. Deposit of $100 / per couple or $50 for single - due 15 October 2014. The balance will be due 15 March 2015. Please make checks payable to: MOAA/NCCOC Mail to the NCCOC Treasurer: COL Ed Baisden, USA (Ret) 2000 Country Club Court, Sanford, NC 27332 Please contact COL Jeri Graham, USA (Ret) with any questions or concerns at (910) 616-3487 or email jigrahamusa@gmail.com Please check http://www.moaa-nc.org for information and updates. Page 6 of 10
Mike McIntyre Speaking at Battleship Mike McIntyre is retiring at the end of this year as our representative in the House. Mike has been on the Armed Services Committee in the house for some time and has always been a strong supporter of the military and veterans affairs. Rep. McIntyre will be the speaker at a BBQ sponsored by the Navy League on the battleship North Carolina on Saturday 27 September, 2014. You are invited to the talk and BBQ beginning at 1800 (6 PM) on the battleship. The cost for the meal and drinks (wine, beer, and soft drinks) will be $23 per person. If you wish to attend, contact Harry Otterbein at harryott@charter.net or call at 910 399 8333. Mail your checks to Harry at 640 Spencer Court, Wilmington, NC 28412. Legislative Update The key to grassroots legislative power is staying informed Remember to Vote! MOAA needs your support now more than any other time in the past decade. In today s environment, we need to stay connected and informed so we may engage our elected officials to ensure MOAA s One Powerful Voice is heard. The August 2014 issue of Military Officer magazine provides you with the opportunity to vote on our association s pending resolutions and the next slate of potential board members. Exercise your right to vote! Cast your ballot and have your voice heard. Online voting is available at https://www.esc-vote.com/moaa2014/ 2014 Warrior Family Symposium On Sept. 10, MOAA will cohost the 2014 Warrior-Family Symposium in Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The event will address the challenges currently serving military personnel, veterans, their families, and caregivers face while managing combat and operational stress and mental or behavioral health concerns during the military-to-civilian transition. Registration is free and lunch is provided. Learn more about the program and sign up to attend online at http://www.moaa.org/wfs/ SSN Removal from Military Retired and Dependent ID Cards To protect the safety of Service members and their families personal identity information, the DoD is removing the Social Security Number (SSN) from DoD ID cards. ID Cards will not be reissued or replaced until your current card expires. Existing cards remain valid until expiration. ID Cards with an INDEF expiration date displaying an SSN may be replaced by contacting a RAPIDS Site for an appointment to have a new ID issued. Remember that your dependent cards do expire and must be renewed prior to the date of expiration. You can renew cards at all military base ID Card Centers and at the Naval Operational Support Center in Wilmington. To make appointments online, go to: https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil/ Page 7 of 10
Air Force "Scrubbing" GO Requirements At a time when tens of thousands of rank-and-file airmen are seeing their jobs endangered and facing voluntary and involuntary force reductions, one group has remained noticeably untouched: generals. There are now 305 general officers in the Air Force, the same number as last year, and one more than in fiscal 2012. And according to the Air Force s fiscal 2015 budget proposal, which was released in March, the overall number of generals is slated to remain unchanged next year. But that could change. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a May 13 editorial board interview with Air Force Times that the service is planning to scrub its general officers to reduce their ranks. It s being scrubbed, James said, when asked if it was fair to not cut generals. Let me just tell you that. We re actively looking at it. James said she did not have any information on how many general officers could be cut, but said the results should be ready by the end of this year. By the time we have our next budget submission, we ll have more to say on that, James said. But as the Air Force scrubs its general officer ranks, Brig. Gen. Arthur Haubold said, it will also have to ensure it keeps its civilian Senior Executive Service members properly balanced with general officers. Among the military services, the Air Force has the smallest number of SES per capita, Haubold said. It s important to keep that in balance as you talk about general officer billets, said Haubold, the mobilization assistant to the Air Force director of public affairs who accompanied James on her visit to Air Force Times headquarters. And that s part of the overall review that we re doing. The Air Force s overall end strength has dropped from 333,370 in 2011 to a projected 310,827 in 2015, but few of those cuts have come from the general officer corps. Thanks to Ron Lafond for submitting this article from the Air Force Times. JROTC Scholarship Update GOOD NEWS - On 28 May 14, Joel Puritz, NHHS Class of 2010, former AJROTC Cadet Battalion Commander and Cape Fear Sword Recipient, graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. A Wildcat for Life, Joel wore his Cape Fear Sword during graduation and commissioning in honor of Sergeant Mac Smith (NHHS Class of 2000) and Major Matthew Stapleton (former NHHS Teacher). Both American Heroes. Joel did not receive his nomination for admission to USMA through the congressional process but was nominated by the NHHS AJROTC Department. By law the Department of the Army is allocated only 20 JROTC or ROTC nominations a year nationwide. (Nominating units must be Honor Units with Distinction). This was a first for NHHS AJROTC! Joel distinguished himself at West Point as a member of the judo team and Jewish Choir. The judo team was one of the best in the nation at the 2014 Judo Collegiate National Tournament. As a choir member, Joel traveled all over the nation and twice to the Washington DC to sing for President and Mrs. Obama. Due to Joel s community service and involvement, he was the recipient of the U.S. Army Outstanding Page 8 of 10
Volunteer Service Medal. This was the first time a member of the Jewish Choir was so honored. Joel received his degree in Environmental Engineering and was branched as an Engineer Officer. He will be attending the Engineer Officer Basic Course at FT Leonard Wood, MO to be followed by an assignment to FT Bragg NC. Additionally, Dominique Fisher, NHHS Class of 2011 and former AJROTC Cadet Battalion Commander, was nominated to USMA through the same AJROTC process and is following in Joel s footsteps. He too is a member of the Jewish Choir and Judo team and hopes to be branched as an Engineer Officer. Our Sponsors We appreciate the generous support of our sponsors, which helps defray the cost of publishing this newsletter and supports SENCLAND MOAA military and veteran outreach activities in our local community. Please thank them for their support. This space now available! 837 S Kerr Ave Wilmington, NC (910) 799-9023 1121-1 Military Cutoff Rd Wilmington, NC (910) 256-6585 If you would like to discuss MOAA SENCLAND sponsorship opportunities, please email steve.mannell@gmail.com. Page 9 of 10
THE SENCLAND CHAPTER of the MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA P.O. BOX 15207 WILMINGTON, NC 28408 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED September 2014 SENCLAND Chapter (MOAA) Membership Application Form Date of Application: Active Duty Active Reservist Retired Former Officer Name: Rank Service Street Address: City State Zip+4 Date of Birth MM/DD/YYYY: Spouses Name: Home Phone: Email: Are you a National MOAA member? Annual Life Member Note: It is not necessary that you be a member of National MOAA in order to join the local chapter although we strongly encourage you to become a National MOAA member. Your National MOAA membership number (on magazine label): Annual chapter dues of $15.00 are waived for the current calendar year for new members! Please complete this form and mail to the return address above. Call Col Al Schroetel, Membership Chairman, at 910-686-6905 or email downeast@bellsouth.net if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting Page 10 you! of 10